Skip to content

7 Things That Can Kill You On Your Lawn

Your lawn is supposed to be your safe haven, but did you know you can die there? There are plenty of hazards on the lawn that can cause severe harm to you. The things that can kill you on your lawn include:

Lawn mowing

A normal and seemingly harmless task such as lawn mowing can cause catastrophic injuries and even death.

Most of those hurt are children, but you can also be hurt as an adult. This can happen when you use a defective lawnmower. The most popular case is the NFL game of 1979, where two fans were gravely injured from flying lawnmower blades.

Serious injuries can also result when a stick or rock ricochets from the spinning blade and hits you on the head or any other body part.

Many amputations have happened when homeowners run over their feet with their machines. Plenty of accidents have also been reported when children try operating unmanned lawnmowers.

You can reduce the risk of getting killed by the lawnmower by being cautious when operating the machine. Before you mow, make sure that the kids and pets are safely indoors.

Also, pick up rocks, toys, and debris that might be on the lawn. This is to prevent injuries from flying objects. Regardless of how many years you have been mowing, always wear sturdy boots such as steel toe boots.

Never try mowing your lawn wearing flip flops. Also, remember to wear eye and ear protection.

Plenty of amputations have resulted as homeowners try removing the grass catcher or unclogging the discharge chute before completely shutting off the machine.

Don’t do this. Always ensure that the machine is completely off before you try unclogging it.

Is your lawn hilly? You should be ultra-cautious when mowing here as plenty of accidents have come about when the mower tips over.

Regardless of the quality time you want to spend with your children, don’t ride with them. Children can easily lose balance and tumble to the ground in the direct path of the mower blades.

To protect them, use lawn mowers with automatic shut-off abilities. These stop working immediately, you release the handle.

Also, go for machines using the dead man’s switch. This is a switch that stops the lawnmower and disengages the cutting blade when you lose human control.

Remember to make use of the safety shields. Installed near the discharge chute, these shields prevent debris from being ejected into the air by the lawnmower.

Once you are done with mowing or when the lawnmower is in the garage, don’t allow children to play with it even if it’s switched off.

They can accidentally cut themselves on the stationary blades.

Dog poop

 

Dogs are cute, but there is nothing attractive about their poop. In addition to being an eyesore and an environmental hazard, they also carry a wide range of pollutants and parasites that are harmful to you and your family.

Studies show that one gram of dog poop can contain up to 23 million fecal bacteria!

When mowing, the lawnmower blades catch the poop and sling it all over the yard where it can even get to your food.

The poop can also be airlifted by insects and other pests and infect you. Dog poop spreads parvovirus, which is a highly contagious illness.

Dog poop also contains coronavirus, which is also harmful to humans.

In addition to this, the poop also contains whipworms, tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and even earthworms.

Some of the poop can also contain E.coli that can be transmitted to humans. As you can see, there are plenty of dangers that come with having dog poop in your yard.

To prevent the spread, always scoop the poop from your yard. To scoop the poop, use a small plastic bag.

Tie the bag and throw it away. If you don’t like throwing it away, consider using an in-ground digester. If you don’t like the messy work of collecting the poop, you can always hire someone to collect it up.

Teach your children about the dangers of poop so that they can stay away from it. Also, remember to keep your dogs far away from the poo of other dogs.

Lawn care pesticides

Every homeowner wants a weed and pest-free lawn. The chemicals can easily rub off on you, your kids and even your pets. The chemicals also run off into lakes and streams, contaminating the water supply.

Consistent exposure to the chemicals is linked to increased cancer incidences. The chemicals also lead to hormone disruption that leads to thyroid problems and infertility.

To protect yourself, your family, and pets, you should be cautious about how you handle the chemicals. If you can, hire a professional to apply the chemicals.

When applying the chemicals by yourself, carefully read the label, follow the application directions, be aware of the effects of exposure, and don’t apply more than necessary.

You can also go natural and avoid using chemicals on your lawn. If you have to, use organic products that are much safer than the traditional ones.

When it comes to fertilizer, use compost or bone meal. When making the purchase, be on the lookout for the EPA’s safer product label.

Ticks

If your pets get into contact with others from neighboring areas, they might have ticks.

There are hundreds of tick species, and some of them carry life-threatening diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Lyme disease is attributed to joint pain, brain inflammation, and many other symptoms. Its spread by the black-legged tick.

The rocky mountain wood tick is attributed to the rocky mountain spotted fever. While ticks don’t have an offseason, you are at a higher risk of being infected by the disease in summer.

This is because the nymphs or non-adult ticks are in full swing at this time. In the event, the ticks land on you, don’t treat them like a bug—by freaking out and yanking them off from your body.

Be cool and use pointy tweezers to remove them.

Grasp the part that is as close to the skin as possible, then pull upward carefully and steadily, then flush it down the toilet.

For easy identification by the doctor, keep the tick in a sealed bag. Don’t freak out if you don’t remove the head as it will eventually work its way out of the skin.

Before you head to the doctor, wash the bite area with soap and water. Also, consider using an alcohol wipe afterward.

If you have the critters in your yard, get rid of them using an insecticide containing at least 20% DEET. To avoid bites from the pesky creatures, always wear closed-toed shoes when going outdoors.

Regularly undertake checks of your lawn and when you notice ticks, work at getting rid of them as soon as possible.

Toxic plants

Plants give your lawn a great look, but some dangerous plants can harm you. One of the deadliest plants, according to USDA, is the water hemlock.

It contains cicutoxin, a violent convulsant that stimulates the nervous system leading to seizures and even death. Be cautious of the types of plants on your lawn.

Other than water hemlock, other plants you should be cautious about are: oleander, rosary pea, white snakeroot, American pokeweed, deadly nightshade, rhubarb, and many others.

While the plants might be beautiful, they might be putting your life and that of your loved ones at risk. Get rid of them to protect yourself.

The hot tub

 

The hot tub is an elegant piece but poses a lot of danger to you and your family members. One of the hazards is that you can drown in it.

This happens when you accidentally slip and fall into the tub. Someone can also poison the tub with chemicals putting you at significant risk.

Over-treated pools have also been shown to cause chronic overexposure to certain toxins.

Since the tubs open up your pores, they allow chemicals to seep directly into your body, putting you at risk. Most of the severe hot tub accidents result from suction drains.

Here you might be entangled, or trapped in the suction drains, leading to death.

To avoid hot tub injuries, place slip-resistant surfacing in and around the hot tub. Also, limit the time you spend in the unit.

This is to avoid suffering from chemical poisoning. To prevent the expansion of pores, keep a check on the temperature you have set the unit.

If you have small children, install a safety feature that allows you to cover and lock the unit when you aren’t using it.

While the suction drains can hurt anyone, children are at more risk. To protect yourself, install suction covers when installing the unit.

Backyard fireplace

A backyard fireplace provides a great place to relax with friends and family. Unfortunately, it can be a significant hazard to you and even your property.

Most of the lawn fires come about in summer when the grass is dry. They result when a speck falls onto the grass, causing the fire.

The fire you are enjoying might also get out of hand burn you and even your property. Some people like burning waste in the outdoor fireplace.

The inhaled air has significant side effects such as kidney failure, developmental disorders, liver failure, and even asthma.

To avoid fireplace disasters on your lawn, always keep a close eye on the fire. As a rule of thumb, never leave it unattended.

When it comes to ash disposal, watch how you dispose of it as it might be containing the fire, causing specks that might put your property at risk.

On my 15th birthday, I became the designated gardener in my home.

Now at 32, I have a small garden and every day I'm out trying different plants and seeing how they grow. I grow guavas, peaches, onions, and many others. Want to know more about me? Read it here.

Back To Top